Its a Bug Eat Bug World
by JM9
Summary: The Crew visit their first MinsharaClass planet, but life on the surface isn't as tranqual as it first appears.
1. Chapter 1

**It's a Bug Eat Bug World**

Author: Hoshissis

Rating: PG13

Disclaimer: Paramount owns Enterprise

Summary: The crew discover their first Minshara-Class planet, but life isn't as tranquil on the surface as appearances would first apear.

A/N Thanks to my beta Pennyforum

A/N This is a take on the forth episode in Season One, Strange New World. It corporates some of the dialogue from the episode in the first few chapters, but the storyline is entirely different from what aired. I've based it around another favourite episode of mine from the X-Files, "Darkness Falls". I thought the relationship between Trip and T'Pol was very like Mulder and Scully, which is why I thought that episode would tie in perfectly.

A/N It isn't a romance. It is set around Season One when they were first building up a friendship, so I didn't think a romance was appropriate. It is based around the two of them stranded on a planet "Strange New World" overnight where the insect life isn't quite what it seems. The story incorporates their first steps between building a close friendship and trust between them.

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Ethan looked up from tucking into his morning breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon. "Jeez, Cutler, how can you eat that crap?"

"It's healthier than that," Liz replied, pulling a face at his, and the majority of the crew's preferred choice of morning meal.

"At least this tastes like something," answered Ethan, as he watched her place another spoonful of bland looking broth into her mouth.

"I guess it takes a more discriminating palate to appreciate Vulcan cuisine."

Before Ethan could come back with another retort, a soft yellow glow began to pan in through the windows of the mess hall. Enterprise had just pulled into the orbit of a lush, new, blue-green planet. Heads popped up from the crew as they turned to view this beautiful new vision and a sense of excitement began to fill the air.

"I thought we were heading for that nebula…" puzzled Ethan, as he stood up and walked over to the window.

"Looked like something more interesting piqued his interest" smiled Liz Cutler, as she joined him to study the new world below. "I wonder if someone lives down there… It doesn't look like there are any cities, industries, satellites …"

"There's a lot of plant life … might be an oxygen atmosphere … looks like you might soon get a chance of some shore leave. I mean bugs are your speciality aren't they?"

"Entomology," corrected Liz, too interested in the planet below to react to Ethan's teasing remark.

"Well, where there's plant life, there's bound to be bugs," he smiled, all-be-it a slightly envious smile. Whilst he also served within the scientific division of Enterprise, he didn't have the technical expertise that Liz had in a specialised subject, so his presence on any future away missions wouldn't be as secure or guaranteed as Liz's would.

"Behave yourself, and I'll throw in a good word for you," she replied playfully. Ethan threw her a look and rolled his eyes, before they both turned back once more to the beautiful spectacle orbiting below. The mess hall suddenly grew quiet as the minds of crewmembers pondered the possibilities of what new discoveries were waiting to be unearthed.

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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One

Just like the Mess hall and probably the rest of the ship, all of the command crew were gathered together on the bridge at their various stations, while the view screen showed off the lush green planet below. Today was a momentous occasion as this new world was the first one that they had encountered so far on their mission, which resembled anything like home.

Captain Jonathan Archer sat perched on the edge of his chair. Today had been a long time coming and he was just as eager as the rest of them to set foot on this brand new world and begin exploring. This was what their mission was all about. It had been his dream from the first time he saw the toy model of his dad's Warp Five engine fly, and he'd promised himself, on his father's sudden demise, that he would make it a reality. "_This one's for you, Dad_," /he thought as he anxiously waited for the reports from his crew.

Sub Commander T'Pol, the ship's beautiful Vulcan Science Officer, peered into her scanner and began detailing her report in a dry monotone, without any hint of emotion and unruffled by all the excitement, as her culture dictated. "…seventeen percent oxygen, eighty-one percent nitrogen."

"Sounds like home," interrupted Commander Charles Tucker III, Trip for short, the ships Chief Engineer. He shared a look of excitement with his best friend, Captain Archer. Trip had never stepped foot on a new planet before and was just as anxious as the rest of them to begin exploring. Normally, on missions like this one, his job would require him to remain in engineering making sure their Warp Five engine remained in tip top shape whilst the scientists carried out the exploration and discovery side, but Trip knew his best friend wouldn't leave him on board missing out whilst they had all the fun.

"Any people?" asked Archer.

"The planet supports a diverse ecology," answered T'Pol. "My readings show signs of various ruins that suggest there may once have been a civilisation, but I can't substantiate how long ago that may have been. At present, my scanner shows no signs of humanoid life."

Despite his eagerness to begin exploring, Archer tried to instil a bit of caution in his approach. After all, he did have a crew to protect and it wouldn't look good to get them killed on their very first mission. Turning to Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, their English Armoury Officer, he asked. "Scan for marker buoys, beacons, man-made satellites …"

"None within range, Sir", he answered, smiling. "Looks like it's been a while since anyone's planted a flag there."

With an encouraging look, Archer turned to Trip. "Prep a shuttlepod, Mister Tucker", he said with a smile.

Pleased that his friend hadn't let him down, Trip turned and walked off towards the nearest turbo lift, whilst Archer turned back round to Ensign Mayweather, their handsome young helmsman. "I like the look of the Northern continent … see if you can find a good place to set down."

"Yes, sir", replied a jubilant, upbeat Travis Mayweather, jumping up to join Commander Tucker at the lift.

"Captain," said T'Pol, in a calm, direct tone of voice. "There are a number of protocols you may want to consider."

Archer rolled his eyes and settled back for the next chapter in '1001 Steps on How Not Blow up the Galaxy". "_Dare I ask?" _he thought, knowing just what to expect from this stoic species of logic, who had a long history with humans of throwing the proverbial dampener on the fire. "Protocols?"

"Vulcan ships would begin by sending down automated probes to collect more detailed scans," stated T'Pol. "If the planet proved to be Minshara-Class, we'd then conduct a geophysical survey from orbit."

"Minshara-Class?" asked Mayweather, not quite understanding the term.

"Suitable for humanoid life," explained Hoshi, the ship's young communications officer who could speak languages by the dozen.

"How long would all that take?" asked Captain Archer.

"Six or seven days," replied T'Pol.

"You expect us to sit up here for a week while probes have all the fun?" exclaimed Trip, impatiently. Along with Captain Archer, he had first hand experience with Vulcans dragging things out, which he put down to them seeing humans as babies taking their first steps into the unknown. So they were reluctant to let go of their leash.

"This planet has been here for a long time …" replied T'Pol dryly, as she looked back at him, in what he regarded to be an arrogant and condescending manner. "It will still be here in seven days."

"Sir?" pleaded Trip, looking at Archer for support.

Archer acknowledged this with a slight nod of his head. "_Don't worry my friend. I'm not going to let them do this to us again._ " Looking back at T'Pol, "I understand you've got a more … cautious approach … but we didn't come out here to tiptoe around. Trip … get the pod ready."

Trip smiled, gave back a mock salute, and then closed the turbo lift down.

"Sub-Commander, I'd like you to put together the survey team …" asked Captain Archer, with a slight smirk. "I assume that's not a violation of protocol."

T'Pol acknowledged this order with a wary look. In her opinion he was very naïve and typically human in refusing to listen to her advice. She was assigned to this crew by the Vulcan High Command to watch over her human counterparts and guide them whilst they undertook their first steps into the unknown. His constant dismissal of her counsel and his desire to undertake foolish endeavours without following official modus operandi was making her task extremely difficult indeed.

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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Two.

The news of the upcoming research mission on a new unexplored world seemed to spur the crew into action. Within the next few hours the shuttle bay filled up with engineering and scientific crewmen performing pre-flight checks on the shuttlepods, loading up scientific equipment, which would be needed planet side for taking detailed scans and samples.

Sub Commander T'Pol was stood off to one side alone, taking an inventory of all the equipment, whilst checking them against her pad to make sure nothing was missing or left off. Commander Tucker was inside Shuttlepod One performing last minute checks, casually engaging other personnel in casual conversation.

"Crewman, hand me that container over there would ya?"

"This one?" asked Liz, picking up a particularly large one next to her on the floor and passing it over.

"Yeah that's the one. I think we should just be able to fit this in the corner over here, but that's it. Damn that's big," exclaimed Trip, not sure it would fit as he received it from her. "Just how large are ya expecting those bugs to be down there," he joked, a slight hint of concern showing in his voice. (Insects didn't feature on his list of favourite things. In fact he was scared to death of them.)

"This is a strange new world, Commander," she teased. "I'm just preparing for all possibilities, that's all …" Commander Tucker pulled a face as he lifted the container and turned to store it inside the pod.

"You enjoyed that," chuckled Ethan, as he passed her another case of sample containers to check over. Pulling her over to one side, he quietly whispered, "I wanted to thank you for putting in a good word for me with Sub Commander T'Pol and getting me on this mission."

"Not me," smiled Liz. "You did that all by yourself. Don't underestimate your capabilities, Ethan. You're just as skilled as the rest of us. You earned your place."

"Thanks," replied Ethan, feeling slightly better about his position on this mission.

"Come on," laughed Liz, pulling Ethan over to Shuttlepod One. "Commander Tucker's almost finished. Let's get inside the pod, as I don't think Sub Commander T'Pol will appreciate stragglers. We want to make sure we get good seats so we can enjoy the view."

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As Travis glided the shuttle craft down through the atmosphere, Captain Archer and Commander Tucker stood eagerly behind him looking through the windows. Sub Commander T'Pol, Crewmen Cutler, Novakovich and Jamison were sitting in the jump seats behind and Porthos was curled up on the floor, anxiously awaiting his walk.

Breaking through the cloud cover, sunlight flooded the cabin causing everyone to turn and look through the windows and portholes at the beautiful sight stretching below. Everyone that is, except Sub Commander T'Pol, who remained indifferent, tapping instructions into her portal Pad.

"Wow!" exclaimed Trip.

"Worth every light year," said Liz, impressed also.

"Those peaks look higher than the Himalayas …" exclaimed Ethan, as Travis piloted the shuttle past a mountainous range.

"Set us down just east of those hills," suggested Captain Archer, pointing to a grassy meadow in the distance. It looks a good place to start."

"Aye, sir," smiled Travis, working the helm to start their descent. "Place your trays in their upright position and fasten your seatbeats, folks. We'll be landing in five minutes."

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Moments later, the shuttlecraft gently glided down inside the meadow Archer had previously pointed out, edging on to the foothills of a sprawling mountainous range. As Travis powered down the engines, Captain Archer swung open the side hatch and took a deep breath, before stepping down onto the grass taking in the scenery. Porthos, his small beagle, bounded out of the craft ahead of Trip and the others, before racing off towards a small cluster of trees to explore the local fauna.

"Where no dog has gone before," chuckled Trip, causing the rest of the group to laugh.

"I almost forgot what fresh air smells like," said Archer, enjoying this light hearted moment.

"The atmosphere contains trace amounts of nitrogen-dioxide … chloromethane …" stated T'Pol, taking him at his word, reading off details of a recent scan, which caused both Trip and Archer to roll their eyes and shake their heads.

"Why don't you leave that and enjoy the moment?" said Archer. "It's not everyday you get to step on a new planet."

"I have been to thirty-six Minshara-Class planets … this one is only marginally different from the rest," stated T'Pol dryly, before looking down at her pad again to do more scans.

Just as Captain Archer was about to make a retort, Trip stepped in to save the moment. "Perfect! Everyone, hold it right there. Smile…" He aimed his camera in their direction and gestured for the group to gather closer together. Just before Trip clicked the camera's electronic shutter, Captain Archer put his arm around T'Pol's shoulder, causing her left eyebrow to climb into her forhead and a stoic scowl to cross her features. The moment certainly made quite a picture.

"Be sure to send a copy of that to the Vulcan High Command," teased Captain Archer, causing the rest of the group to chuckle.

"This isn't shore leave. It is a research mission," exclaimed T'Pol in a serious tone, aimed at both Captain Archer and Commander Tucker. "We are only scheduled to be planet side for a short period of time. We don't have the time for recreational activities," she said, indicating his camera.

"Research doesn't have to be serious," replied Trip, invading her personal space. "Visual scans with ma camera can be just as effective as your scanner."

"I find that highly doubtful, Commander…"

"Why don't you two tag along and prove it then," exclaimed Archer with a smirk, knowing he'd just dropped his friend in the proverbial deep end.

"What!!" exclaimed Trip, as both he and T'Pol threw Captain Archer a look of shock and horror.

"You said you were short on time. Two 'scanners' are better than one," he replied jokingly.

T'Pol seemed to ponder this suggestion.

"Cap'n…" He was interrupted by T'Pol picking up the extra large container, which he'd stowed in the pod earlier, and placing it in his arms to carry. During their discussion, Ethan, Cutler and Jamison had emptied the pod of all the equipment they would need to carry out their mission.

"You have your assignments. We'll rendezvous here at nineteen hundred hours," ordered T'Pol, indicating for the others to proceed. "Commander …" she stated, signalling that he should follow.

"Cap'n …" pleaded Trip, not quite believing his eyes.

"You heard the lady, Trip… Have fun. Come on, Travis, it's me you and Porthos," he chuckled, as they turned around and walked off to explore, leaving Trip to stare open mouthed like a goldfish.

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	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Three

Despite their initial scepticism, Sub Commander T'Pol and Commander Tucker worked well together. They slowly manoeuvred across the landscape examining the different types of fauna and rock strata, studying the exotic striations showing on numerous rock faces, while performing a geological analysis of them.

At first T'Pol would indicate which pieces she wanted Trip to photograph, while she took scans with her scanner, but as time wore on, a non verbal communication formed between them and she was able to accomplish this with a certain look, flick of her eyes, fingers or head.

Despite his early misgivings, Trip was actually enjoying himself, although he wasn't willing to admit it to his companion just yet. He thought the day would have been boring, full of Vulcan put downs about how humans were too emotional and how they lacked the intelligence to understand the complexities needed to complete a successful mission such as this. But he couldn't have been more wrong. She seemed to enjoy his company, even open to his input on deciding which strata or formation they were to examine next.

"Why don't we rest here for a while," said T'Pol, noticing they that he seemed to be tiring. "We've covered quite a lot of ground. A break and some nourishment should do us some good before proceeding further with our scans."

"Sounds good," replied Trip, sitting down on a nearby outcropping. He pulled his backpack off and took out a flask of water, which he drank heartily from before offering it to T'Pol. "Want some?"

"Thank you," she replied, taking the flask from him, and taking a delicate sip as he looked into his backpack for something to eat.

"Damn … ration bars. Remind me next time to ask Chef to prepare something more filling."

"They contain all the adequate nutrition your body needs to fulfil its requirements."

"Still taste like crap though," replied Trip, pulling a face while chewing on another morsel. "I'm surprised you went along with the Cap'n."

"His suggestion of using visual scans had merit," she answered. "Your assistance in this endeavour hasn't been as pointless or as meddlesome as I first feared."

"Apology accepted," smiled Trip. It wasn't quite an apology but it was probably as close as he was going to get for one. "So, where now? I think we've covered all the unusual looking formations in this area. Why don't we head over to that mountainous region in the distance? It looks like there might be some caves we can explore."

"I agree," replied T'Pol. "Are you adequately rested?"

"I'm fine. Come on, let's get movin'. The wind is picking up."

"Maybe we should return to the shuttle craft," said T'Pol, showing some concern. "It would not be wise to get stranded out here during a weather front."

"It's only a slight breeze, T'Pol," replied Trip, walking off. "There's no need to panic."

"I am not panicking, Commander. Just stating facts," she answered, catching up to him.

"This is no worse than the good ole Florida breeze I grew up with."

"As you are aware, Commander, we are a long way from Florida. Even though this is a Minshara-Class planet, there are significant differences between this world and Earth. It is unwise to compare the two."

"Enterprise will be able to pick up any weather fronts heading our way. They would have told us by now if there was anything to worry about. Come on, it shouldn't take us long to reach those mountains."

T'Pol checked her scanner once more. There were no indications that the wind was getting any stronger to be a danger to them, so she nodded her head to confirm her agreement in the matter and carried on forward.

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They had travelled about forty minutes and were nearly upon their destination. The wind had picked up slightly, enough to make it more than a gentle breeze, but they hadn't received any further word from Enterprise or the other crew members on the mission, so T'Pol and Trip pressed on ahead.

"Hey, T'Pol, look at that," said Trip, as they came upon the remains of what looked like an extremely large, downed tree from a bolt of lightning. The trunk had more or less been sliced in two causing the main body to lie stretched out upon the floor like a rotting corpse. "Looks like storm damage. Can you tell if it's from any recent activity?" he asked; as T'Pol knelt down to examine the tree with her scanner.

"I can't be certain, from the rate of decay I estimate that it happened up to five to ten years ago."

"This tree must be hundreds of yours old, at least," exclaimed Trip. "It must have been a hell of a storm to cause damage like this."

"Storm fronts like tornado's or hurricane's are not uncommon on Earth, Commander. They would be capable of inflicting this type of damage."

"Maybe, but these trees are a hell of a lot bigger and older than anything we have back on Earth, T'Pol. I doubt even a class five could inflict this type of damage."

While the wind whipped around their faces, they were both quiet as they pondered just how bad a storm front could get on this planet and what it would mean to them.

"If these are similar to the types of trees that we have back home, then these rings would indicate a tree's lifespan, wouldn't it?" said Trip.

"You're correct, Commander. Every ring represents a season of growth. They record the history of rainfall and climate."

"So I wonder what this one would represent?" asked Trip, pointing to a green tinged circle enclosing one of the tree's inner rings.

"I'm uncertain," replied T'Pol. "I have never seen anything like this before. I'll take a core sample so we can examine it more closely back on Enterprise." T'Pol took out a sample jar from her case. She inserted a metal disc over the green ring and pressed her pad twice. A spike shot out from the disc deep into the porous wood, then sprang back upwards. She placed this disc into her specimen jar, closed it and then placed it back inside her case. "Shall we continue, Commander?" she asked, when she'd finished. Commander Tucker had been taking pictures of the tree and surrounding area with his camera and she didn't want to leave until he had finished.

"Yeah, I'm finished up here. Let's see what surprises further up has in store."

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	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Four

Captain Archer, Mayweather and Porthos were walking along a riverbank next to a gurgling stream.

"I'm afraid my log entry isn't going to do this justice…" sighed Archer, enjoying the scenery and the tranquillity of the place.

"It's beautiful all right …" answered Mayweather, "but I couldn't call a place home unless it came with a pair of warp nacelles."

Archer shook his head. "Boomers …" he muttered playfully. Suddenly his communicator beeped. Pulling it from his inside pocket, he flipped it open to reply. "Archer."

"Captain, Lieutenant Reed has detected a storm front approaching your coordinates from the south west," stated Hoshi Sato.

"Our scanners haven't detected anything," replied Archer, as Travis pulled out his and started scanning. He shook his head to indicate nothing.

"It's still a little out of range," reported Lieutenant Reed, "but it's travelling fast. I recommend cutting your survey short and pulling out…"

"The wind has picked up a bit," interrupted Archer, "but it's nothing to get worried about."

"You're only feeling the outer rim at the moment, Sir," Reed explained. "In about another twenty minutes it's going to be shifting quite a bit, around eighty kph, and that's only half the speed our scanners indicate it's capable of…"

"Okay, Lieutenant. Contact the rest of the survey team and tell them to meet us back at the shuttle in ten minutes. Archer out..."

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Fifteen minutes later, Archer, Mayweather and Porthos arrived back in the meadow at the pod. Cutler, Novakovich and Jamison were already waiting for them outside the craft. They had already stowed their gear inside to save time. The wind was blowing quite strong now, gusting continuously, and whipping around the local bushes and vegetation.

"Where's Trip and T'Pol?" asked Captain Archer, as Mayweather climbed into the shuttle to start the pre-flight check.

"They haven't checked back yet, Sir" answered Liz, showing concern.

Captain Archer took out his communicator… "Archer to Enterprise…"

"Lieutenant Reed here, sir."

"Did Trip and T'Pol estimate how long it would be for them to return?"

"We're having trouble contacting them, Sir," replied Reed. "There's too much interference. The signal's having trouble getting through."

"Damn," muttered Archer, wondering what to do next. He certainly wasn't going to leave without his friend and science officer, but he couldn't wait around here with the storm getting worse. "We're taking off," he said, indicating for the rest of them to get in the shuttle and strap themselves in. "We'll close in on their position and contact them on our way back. Have you got their exact coordinates?"

"Yes, Sir," replied Reed.

"Send them to our helm. Archer out …" he ordered, as he climbed into the pilot's seat and prepared to take off. "We should have time to stop off at their position and pick them up. See if you have better luck contacting them to let them know…" he asked Mayweather, who climbed into the navigation seat next to him.

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About the same time, a dusty and dishevelled Trip and T'Pol hurriedly arrived at their intended destination, the foothills of the mountain range. What Trip previously had thought of as a gentle breeze, had now built up to strong, blustery, continuous winds, which were howling fiercely around the mountain range. They both hesitated for a second on discovering that the expected caves were in fact an abandoned settlement built into the rocks. Aware that they needed to find shelter out of the storm, T'Pol indicated for them to go into the nearest doorway. On entering the building and barricading the door shut against the fierce gusts outside, T'Pol threw Commander Tucker a glare to show her displeasure at their current situation.

"Look it's done! I was wrong, okay? We shouldn't have continued trekking up here," said Trip loudly, more angry with himself for getting themselves in this situation than he was at her. "Let's just move past it."

"That might be difficult under our current circumstances," replied T'Pol.

"I underestimated the strength of the wind and how quickly it could build up," said Trip. "An easy mistake ..."

"If you had followed my orders prev…"

"Oh, cut the sanctimonious crap, would ya?" interrupted Trip. "Ya know damn well that wasn't an order, it was a suggestion. You scanned the area yourself. Even you didn't think it would get this bad …"

The air was tense, as a confrontation threatened to build up between them. Both were on edge as they each recognised their part in this misadventure. The sound of a communicator beeping interrupted their face off.

Trip pulled it out of his side pocket and flipped the lid. "Tucker…"

"Trip … closing … your position … there's a … fifty metres … from the cave … meet … we're pulling you …"

"I think we know why Enterprise hasn't been in touch," said Trip as Archer signed off. They both understood the meaning of the fragmented message and once more prepared to go outside. "If the interference is that bad with the Cap'n practically overhead, it's downright impossible for Enterprise to get through from their position."

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Five minutes later, the lights of Shuttlepod One could be seen in the not too far distance. It was being buffeted by powerful winds, causing Archer no end of trouble as he battled to keep the helm steady.

"I'm reading them," said Travis, "two kilometres due west …"

"I'm taking us down," replied Archer, holding the helm in a vice-like grip as the pod lurched and shook. "There's a lot of wind shear near the surface …"

"I'm activating the auxiliary landing thrusters," said Travis, as the sound of the engine's power could be heard rising against the wind.

"Altitude: eighty meters … forty meters …" stated Archer, as the pod began to pitch and roll on it's descent downwards. Ethan, Liz and Jameson, gripped their seats in fear, each looking a little green from all the turbulence.

"I'm going to have to try this on a different vector," shouted Archer over the whine of the engines, as he pulled back hard on the throttle.

Both Trip and T'Pol watched from below as the shuttle came around for another landing attempt. The landing light swept across their faces as it began to descend from a new angle. "They're not going to make it," said Trip, as he watched another burst of violent wind hit the pod, causing it to roll to one side and lose control, as it neared the surface.

"Starboard!" shouted Travis urgently, as he glimpsed a jagged outcropping of rock approaching nearer and nearer.

"I see it!" Archer exclaimed, as he worked the helm, trying to steer the pod away. He almost succeeded in his endeavour, but the side of the shuttle hit the edge of the rock with a hard jolt causing sparks to violently burst off it.

"Thruster four's down!" shouted Travis. "We're leaking plasma coolant!"

"Almost there!" said Archer, as he worked intently on the controls while the shaking continued …

"Sir, we can't make a safe landing in this wind with a thruster out!" shouted back Mayweather.

Archer hesitated, he knew Travis was right … but it didn't make him feel any better, conscious of the fact that he'd be stranding two of his officers on an unknown planet during a violent storm. Knowing that he had to focus on his crew presently in the shuttle at this time in order to get them safely back aboard Enterprise, he reluctantly forced the concern for his friend to the back of his mind. Working the helm, the shuttle began to ascend once more. The engines whined with power as they rose, and the shaking finally began to settle subside.

He indicated for Travis to touch the COM panel. "Archer to Tucker …" he said.

"Cap'n, aren't you forgetting something?" said Trip, sounded slightly frizzed from all the interference.

"Sorry, but … going to have to wait … wind dies down. It's … dangerous to … landing. Try … manage till then."

"We'll do our best, Sir," replied Trip, understanding the gist of the message, despite all the interference. "Tucker out."

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	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Five

Five minutes later, they were back inside the cave both looking extremely dishevelled and ragged from the storm.

"I suggest we try and make ourselves comfortable," said T'Pol. "We don't know how long we this front is going to last."

"Fine," replied Trip, still mad at himself for carelessly getting them stranded.

"How much water do we have?" asked T'Pol, standing up and dusting off an upturned table, so she could put her equipment down.

"This canteen is about a third full and we have another full one in ma bag," replied Trip, checking their gear. "It'll probably be a good idea to conserve water."

"That won't be necessary," said T'Pol, dryly. "Vulcans can survive without water for several days."

"It might _just_ be several days before Enterprise gets a shuttle down here again."

T'Pol threw him a look to suggest that she thought that was highly unlikely. "You never know," he replied with a shrug. "Look, somebody obviously lived here previously … there must be a water source around here somewhere, which supported them."

"A logical assumption," answered T'Pol, pulling out her scanner to start checking their surroundings.

"I have ma moments," said Trip.

"Sparsely," replied T'Pol, in what Trip could have sworn was a teasing tone. Before he could come back with a retort, she indicated for them to go deeper in their habitat.

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The desolation and dusty remains of various pieces of debris was scattered around the caverns, suggesting that no one had been, or lived around here for quite some time.

"Can ya tell how long this place has been deserted?" asked Trip, as T'Pol carried on scanning while they continued walking, glancing through doors as they passed numerous rooms.

"I would estimate between fifty and hundred years."

"Wonder what happened to them?" questioned Trip, more to himself than anyone else.

"The lack of any solid evidence at the moment prevents me from giving an accurate answer to your question," replied T'Pol, in a tone that suggested the same thought had crossed her mind as well.

They both paused at the door of one of the rooms, "Looks like they weren't primitive," said Trip, spotting what looked to be machinery of some kind.

"This looks like some form of communicative equipment," replied T'Pol, as she passed her scanner over them.

"Yeah, I think this is a radio," said Trip, bending down to examine them. "This looks like some kind of recording device. Maybe their version for recording their personal logs… I'm not sure what this is … maybe some kind of power cell …"

"Maybe you should examine them later," she said, pulling him away from getting too absorbed in his find and indicating for them to carry on deeper into the habitat on their original search.

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Ten minutes later they found themselves in a large cavern. Towards the rear, the sound of falling water could be heard.

"This appears to be a natural source," suggested T'Pol, running her scanner across the pool that the water was falling into.

"Is it drinkable?" asked Trip.

"Yes, my scans indicate that is consumable. It doesn't contain any toxins that could harm Humans or Vulcans," she replied, staring at something in the far corner.

"What's the matter?" asked Trip, looking over in that direction, trying to spy whatever had caught her attention.

"There appears to be a something over there," she replied.

"What?" questioned Trip, as they starting to walk over to get a better look.

"It looks like some kind of hive," answered T'Pol.

"Hive?… What kind of hive? What do ya mean?" asked Trip, growing concerned.

"I am unsure," replied T'Pol, bending down to examine the object. "I have never seen anything like it." She ran her scanner over it before drawing back in shock. "There appears to be a body inside …"

Trip pulled out his phase pistol and began cutting open the outer weave of the cocoon, revealing the object inside.

"Could it be whoever used to live here?" asked Trip, sounding a little anxious as he watched T'Pol examine the remains.

"Possibly," she replied. "I think it's a male. I can't be certain, though, due to the shrivelled and dehydrated composition of the body. The hard and dry structure of the body's internal and external features prevents me from ascertaining the precise cause of death. All indications though, would suggest that it has been preserved."

"Maybe it's part of their burial procedure. You know, like being embalmed?"

"No," replied T'Pol. "This is more like all the fluids have been bled out. Almost like it's been cured," she said, as she stood up and put away her scanner. "Until further examinations and specific scans can be carried out aboard Enterprise, it would be unwise to continue '_guessing_'. I suggest we return to the previous room with the communications equipment. If you can get the recording device to work, we may find some of the answers."

Trip nodded his agreement to this. "Do ya still think it some kind of hive?" he asked, as they returned to other room.

"As I stated previously, I can only haphazard a guess at this present time as to its precise nature."

"So guess," replied Trip, sounding a bit agitated. "I won't hold it against ya."

"I think it is an insect cocoon," she replied, undeterred by their find. "Possible a spider's nest."

Trip's eyes grew large in fear. "_Spiders …Why the god damn hell does it have to be spiders…?"_ he thought, almost trembling in fear.

--------------------------------

It had been an hour since their return from their strange finds in the previous cavern and Trip had been hard at work examining the machinery. He was glad of the distraction. Anything to get his mind off the idea of huge man-eating spiders prowling around in the shadows, waiting to pounce on their new prey.

"Have you had any luck?" asked T'Pol, looking at pieces of disassembled equipment from the radio, scattered all over a table.

"I'm not getting any reception. I think the receiver could be smashed."

"What about transmissions? Can you send a message?" asked T'Pol.

"Maybe … we could give it a try. The power cell looks a bit worn out though, so I don't know how long it'll last," explained Trip.

"What about the other piece of equipment?" asked T'Pol. "You indicated previously that you thought it might be some kind of power cell … maybe?"

Trip shook his head and smiled. "It is kinda like a power cell, but not nearly as advanced. I think its some kind of generator that powers the overhead lights but it needs some kind of liquid fuel to make it work. The tank underneath it appears about a quarter full, so I don't think there will be much problem getting that to work. The problem is how long it will last … I don't think there's enough in there to last more than a few hours …"

"What about the recording device?" asked T'Pol?

"Same thing as the radio," he sighed. "I think I can possible get round that problem by using the power cells from ma communicator and scanner, but it might take some time adapting our technology to theirs. I've then got to hook up the UT so we can translate whatever's on there ..."

"Proceed," ordered T'Pol. "I suggest you begin with the recording device first. Then, if you fail in your endeavour, we will still have the radio for emergency use."

"There are no guarantees that that this is even gonna work …"

"We are left with little option," replied T'Pol. "We need to find out what happened here and whether it still presents a danger. If that is indeed the case, we will need to contact Enterprise and inform them of our '_situation_'."

Trip nodded his agreement and returned to work.

"Do you require my assistance?"

He didn't really, but he sensed a 'need' in her, that she required the preoccupation just as much as he did. "Thanks."

-----------------------------


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Six

A few hours later, with his scanner in pieces, Trip was pretty sure that they had done enough to get the device working. "That should do it," he said, connecting the last two wires together, which produced a fuzzy image to be displayed onscreen and the sound of an unintelligible voice. "If you'll turn on the UT, hopefully we'll be able to understand what he's saying and find out what happened."

T'Pol started pressing some buttons on her communicator. At first nothing seemed to happen, but after a few minutes bits of words began to make sense until a clear and concise male voice started talking …

_We were unsuspecting at first, but too many people went missing during the first four nights for us not to suspect that something was wrong. We decided to search the back caverns after Carmella and Pinza disappeared. _

_We found them about half a mile away hidden deep within the cave structure enclosed within a woven cocoon. They were both still alive, barely. Both of them seemed to be enveloped by a swarm of green fluorescent insects, which seemed to thrive within the dark damp environment of these caverns, intent on drinking their very essence. Corvine attempted a rescue but he was enveloped within seconds. I'm sorry to say 1 ran for my life. _

_We bravely came to this new world to study its ecosystem for a new energy source. Little did we know that hidden deep within, was an army ready to fight back. It's ironic that the very quest for our survival, ultimately leads us to our destruction. _

_We've sent off a distress signal for an instant retrieval. We can only pray that a rescue will reach us in time. Until then the light is our only salvation…_

Both Trip and T'Pol were silent as the message faded and the screen turned to black. The atmosphere was tense as the impact of how bleak their current situation looked, began to sink in.

"What … what do ya think he meant by 'hidden deep within was an army ready to fight back'" asked Trip, trying not to let the panic he was feeling right now, creep through.

"I think he was referring to the trees" she mused, remembering something they had seen earlier.

"Trees?" queried Trip, slightly confused by her line of reasoning.

"Do you remember the broken trunk we found earlier, not far from the settlement, which contained the greenish tinged ring?" she asked, walking over to her case to retrieve the core sample she had previously taken.

"Yeah…" replied Trip, still not following.

"I am beginning to suspect I may know what has caused it."

Trip waited while T'Pol took out a tiny microscopic device from her case and inserted the disc. She then began to take readings on her scanner.

After a few minutes, she looked up. "As I suspected, this ring has a tiny microscopic creature living inside it."

"You mean a parasite?" asked Trip, peering over to take a closer look. "But that doesn't make sense. From what I remember from high school biology, parasites usually attack a tree in a variety of ways but they always attack the living parts. The leaves, the roots, the new growth rings."

"They don't seem to be attacking the tree," answered T'Pol. "They seem to be feeding off it, hatching out of the porous wood."

"I don't see how they can be feeding," replied Trip. "A tree's inner ring's is essentially dead wood."

"Maybe the trees on this planet are different, Commander. As I stated earlier, it is unwise to compare this world with your own as there are significant differences."

"So, what are ya saying? That these tiny bugs are the same things as them … in there?" asked Trip, pointing in the opposite direction to where they previously saw the cocoon.

"I think the insects, which are present in the caverns previously lived within these trees, symbiotically," suggested T'Pol. "Once the colonists began encroaching upon their territory, they sought out another environment. These caverns offer a similar habitat. They are self contained, have an underground water source, they offer a dark and damp atmosphere, and with the colonists building a home here, they offered a fresh food source where they could propagate successfully."

"Great …just great…life sucking alien bugs," muttered Trip anxiously pacing up and down. "I landed on the set of a god damn Boris Karloff horror movie …"

"Have you not stated in the past that watching horror films was one of your favourite pastimes?" asked T'Pol, in a dry teasing fashion, hoping to lighten the atmosphere in an attempt to calm her distressed colleague.

"_Watching_ is the appropriate word there, Sub Commander," replied Trip. "I never said anything about participating in one…"

Returning to the table, Trip hastily picked up the various pieces of the disassembled radio.

"Commander … what are you doing?"

"I'm getting this radio fixed so we can call Enterprise and get off this rock," answered Trip, hurriedly putting the pieces together.

"I thought you were unsure that using the power cell from our communicator would work?"

"Never underestimate the motivating power of not wanting to be a food source for a life sucking alien bug."

"Panicking will not help you in your endeavour," said T'Pol, resting her hand on his arm as he rushed to put the equipment back together.

"Who's panicking!!?"

She threw him a look, which stopped him in his tracks.

"Maybe you're right," he replied, taking a deep breath in the hope of calming himself down. "Why don't ya give me a hand? I think I'm gonna need it…"

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	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Seven

It was quite late by the time Trip had reassembled the radio back in to some semblance of working fashion. He had connected the other power cell from his communicator to the device in order to boost their transmission power over the storm's interference, and increase their chances of getting their message through to Enterprise. Since they had no way of knowing if a message had got through with the receiver being well and truly fried, with dusk setting in, he was taking no chances. He activated the generator, while T'Pol switched on the transceiver.

"Sub Commander T'Pol to Enterprise … we have a possible quarantine situation and require immediate assistance."

She repeated this message several times and then turned it off, to Trip's surprise. "We need to conserve as much power as possible for the generator to last through the night," she explained, to his questioning look.

"I suppose ya right," he said, joining her at the nearby table. "So what do we do now?"

"We wait…" she replied, before sitting down in a meditative pose.

-------------------------------------------

Patience wasn't one of Trip's virtues. He was a hands-on type of guy who always kept himself active and busy. More especially at times like this when he was on edge, with his emotions close to the surface. Sitting around waiting like this just made him think … think about those man-eating insects and what they did to the previous colony here … think about the small amount of light the generator was giving out and how it couldn't possibly keep them at bay or last through the night … think about how he could hear the swarm building up right now, gearing up to flock towards them, ready to pounce en mass on to their two unsuspecting new prey …

"I can see them," Trip whispered, in a scared tone as his threatened emotions finally spilled over. "T'Pol … look," he said, pointing over to the corner of the room where tiny green glowing insects were crawling out of the brickwork and slowly spreading around the dark edges of the room. "Look they're coming through the wall down where it's dark."

T'Pol glanced over to where Trip was pointing, but her calm demeanour didn't show any sign that she was perturbed by their appearance. Trip, on the other hand, jumped up in panic as his fear took hold, overwhelming all rational thoughts.

"Oh my god… they're on me. Get'm off ... Get'm off ..." he yelled, jumping around, brushing off the hoard of imaginary insects his irrational fear had projected on him.

"Commander!"

"Get'm off me …"

"Commander … Stop it …!" she loudly exclaimed, gripping his hands to stem his rising fear.

"Can you see them? They're on me …"

"They are not on you …" she said, gripping him harder. Her firm grasp and composed poise slowly began to seep through her touch to bringing him back to reality. His fast grasping breaths began to settle back down into a normal breathing rhythm as his irrational thoughts slowly began to subside. "Your fears are beginning to overwhelm your emotions. You have to focus…" She pulled him down to a meditating position, all the while holding him firmly and speaking in a soothing voice. His frantic, agitated state slowly focused on her until she became the sole being in his whole existence. "Close your eyes … imagine yourself on a calm ocean …"

After a few minutes, "Thanks," he said. "Sorry I lost it back there …"

"How are you feeling?" asked T'Pol, still holding on to him tightly.

"I'm good … I'm okay …" he replied, looking a lot calmer, whilst retaining a slight tremor of fear in his voice.

"We are safe while we remain in the light," she explained. "The insects are not encroaching beyond the extent of the boundary."

"That's … that's good … that's good ta know," exclaimed Trip, taking deep breath while he focused himself on T'Pol.

"I think the light keeps them from swarming," she carried on. "Just like fireflies, which you have on Earth. The green luminosity that you can see projecting from them comes from oxidizing enzymes. I think this is why they cocoon their prey. So they can oxidize the proteins taken from fluid in the body …"

"T'Pol," exclaimed Trip, shaking his head to indicate for her to stop. "Not that I don't appreciate what ya doing, but … can ya not go there …?"

"I apologise."

"Do ya think, maybe, Enterprise heard our transmissions?"

"I am certain Captain Archer will endeavour to undertake a rescue at the earliest convenience…" she replied, failing to answer his question, but not wanting to come across as too negative to prevent his fears from escalating once again.

"We sent that call hours ago … Help would have been here by now …"

"While the storm intensity has lessened, it is still too dangerous to attempt a landing. Try to remain calm and focused."

"What if the generator fails," asked Trip, his anxiety rising again. "What then, are they gonna swarm in here and drain the life out of us?"

"Trip!" she exclaimed, drawing his full attention once more. "_Close your eyes_. _Think of the boat … the ocean_," she said, holding onto one of his hands, as she began pressing her fingers into the middle of his palm, performing a Vulcan relaxation ritual. "_You are sitting in that boat. There is a gentle breeze blowing causing slight ripples on the water. As the sun sets, the orange glow stretches across the horizon…"_

His breathing slowed down once more, as he began to lose himself in her vision …

Overhead, the light flickered as the generator's steady hum started to stutter as it reached the last remnants of fuel towards the bottom of the tank…

------------------------------------------------


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Eight.

The tree tops bristled in the breeze as Shuttlepods One and Two eased down for a smooth landing. The wind had eased off enough to a point where a rescue was now possible, so Captain Archer hadn't hesitated. He'd had teams on standby for the previous three hours after they had received a garbled transmission from T'Pol about an emergency situation.

His first thought had been to grab a shuttle right there and then and go down and help his friend, but he was a starship captain and he had to put his crew's safety first. The wind strength was just too dangerous to attempt a landing, so he had to play the waiting game.

Those three hours had been the longest wait in his whole life … hours where questions played over and over inside his head … had he done the right thing going down to the planet in the first place … maybe with more caution they would have detected the trouble his friend and first officer now faced … if he had tried a different vector, or even tried harder, their previous landing attempt might have been more successful … hell, if he'd been a better friend or better captain, his first officer and best friend wouldn't be in this situation right now…

When Lieutenant Reed had come to inform him that the storm had died down sufficiently to leave, he'd practically ran out of his ready room towards the Shuttlebay. Phlox wouldn't let them leave though, until they had all put on flight suits for protection. T'Pol had warned them of a possible quarantine, so it was essention that precautions be taken to prevent any contamination being spread back to Enterprise. Archer had argued that this would only waste precious time. Time which was now of an essence if they were to save Trip and T'Pol's lives. Phlox was adamant though. He wasn't prepared to take any chances. "Or would you rather rush foolishly into a rescue and put both of their lives in jeopardy once more, by bringing back aboard Enterprise a dangerous contamination that could affect the whole crew?" he asked, in a tone that said he wouldn't be moved on this issue.

Ten minutes later, both pods lifted out of Enterprise's shuttlebay and glided down to the planet towards Trip and T'Pol's earlier coordinates.

"_Please let them be okay_…"

----------------------------------------------------------------

Daylight was just breaking as Captain Archer, Lieutenant Reed and Phlox stepped out of the two pods along with four other medical and security personnel. "I'm reading biosigns in that direction ..." said Phlox to Archer and Reed, indicating with his medical scanner.

"Trip and T'Pol?" asked Archer.

"I think so," replied Phlox. "Their readings are very faint though."

"Be on your guard," said Reed to his security detail, as they followed Archer, Phlox who hurriedly began their trek up towards the settlement. "We don't know what type of danger Commander Tucker or Sub Commander T'Pol encountered, or if it's still present."

--------------------------------

The appearance of the settlement built into the hillside would usually have earned close study, but Archer spared it just a passing glance as he sped to aid his friend.

"Captain!" exclaimed Reed, as Archer and Phlox tried to go through a doorway. "If you don't mind," he said, motioning for himself and his security detail to go in first with their weapons drawn.

Reluctantly, Archer agreed. He could understand where Lieutenant Reed was coming from with his cautious approach. T'Pol had indicated they were in danger. They had no way of knowing what that danger was or if it was still present, so Reed was only being an excellent security officer by doing his job properly. At times like this though, when Archer knew his friend was in trouble and needed his help quickly, it was frustrating. He just wanted to throw caution to the wind and rush straight in.

Armed with a torch in one hand and a phase pistol in the other, Malcolm and his security detail slowly entered the dark interior. "Looks like there was some kind of barricade," he stated, kicking away some broken pieces of wood that had been blocking the entrance.

"For keeping something out?" asked Archer, wondering if Trip had put this here to shield them from a predator?

"More like the weather," replied Lieutenant Reed, glancing quickly at the debris before walking further inside. As they shone their torches around, the beam picked up an eerie sight, which drew questioning looks to their faces. The whole room looked like one giant web. Strands of silk were intermingled together from every crevice to look like giant ribbons bound together to form huge hanging curtains that swathed every object in the room. As the beam of light touched these silky wraps, tiny luminescent green insects quickly withdrew to the blackness beyond.

"Are you sure they're in here," asked Archer, a hint of concern showing in his voice. Knowing Trip as well as he did, this would be the last place he would take shelter in.

"Our scanners indicate that they're inside this building," replied Phlox, as he walked up to a large object swaddled tightly together. Kneeling down further for a closer inspection, his face recoiled in horror as he realised finally what was inside. "Get the containment pods," he called anxiously to his personnel as he began peeling away the woven shrouds to reveal their two missing officers. Trip was curled up in a foetal position, while T'Pol lay beside him in a protective stance, as if she was trying to ward off their attackers.

"Oh my god!" exclaimed Captain Archer in horror, instantly darting forward to reach out for his friend.

"Captain … please … let us do our jobs," replied Phlox in an urgent tone, stopping him from coming any closer, while Lieutenant Reed and his men cut them out with their phasers.

Within a few minutes they were free. Carefully Lieutenant Reed and the others gently lifted them up and enclosed them within two containment pods, which they then picked up and carried back to the shuttlepods.

Captain Archer seemed to be frozen to the spot in shock while all of this was being carried out. As Lieutenant Reed and the others carried both of the pods out of the building, Phlox gently shook Archer out of his trance. "Captain … we have to hurry."

The urgency of the situation finally struck him as he suddenly drew back into reality. Nodding his head to show that he was okay with this, they both quickly turned around and ran back to the shuttlecraft with the others.

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	10. Chapter 10

Epilogue

Two days after their rescue mission, Captain Archer finally walked down to sickbay to see his friend and fellow officer. Up till now, Phlox had had them both in quarantine in decon to make sure none of the insects were still on them. It had been touch and go at one point on whether he was able to stabilise their condition. Both of them were extremely dehydrated from fluid loss that had been drained out of them, and he wasn't sure whether there was any internal lung damage due to insect inhalation.

As Captain Archer walked through the doors, both Trip and T'Pol were on bio beds in the far corner. T'Pol was sitting up awake but Trip was still lying down unconscious enclosed within a plastic screen. Both of them had oxygen tubes up their noses and a drip in their arms giving their bodies much needed fluids. They were still pale and drained, but they were both looking a lot healthier than the last time he seen them down on the planet.

"How are you feeling?" asked Archer, as he came towards T'Pol's bed.

"Better," she replied. "Thank you for asking."

"How did the tests come back," Archer asked Phlox, when he walked over to them.

"The damage to their respiratory tracks isn't as bad as I originally feared" replied Phlox, as Archer breathed a huge sigh of relief. Turning back to T'Pol, he said, "I was concerned about damage to your lungs due to the large amounts of insects you both inhaled. They left large concentrations of a chemical within your respiratory tracks, known as luciferase."

"What is that?" asked Archer.

"It's a type of enzyme, which you often find in fireflies and other bioluminescent insects. They inject their prey with this to immobilize them before they go on to feed. Our entomologists are still examining the data to determine the specific type of insects you encountered. They've found quite a few similarities to those found back on Earth."

"I don't recall fireflies on Earth having a carnivorous nature," cringed Archer.

"Obviously that's where the similarities stop," replied Phlox. "Fireflies are predatory by nature, although normally with prey a lot smaller than humans. Usually other small insects, slugs, snails, earthworms…"

"How's Trip doing?" asked Archer, changing this uncomfortable subject, while anxiously looking over at the bed next to them where he lay.

"He's not quite stable yet, but he's doing better," answered Phlox, checking the monitors over his bed. "He should be fine in another day," he said in a reassuring voice, hoping to ease Archer's concern. He knew how close the two were and wanted to ease his worries. "I'm just giving him some additional oxygen to aid his breathing and additional fluids to replenish those he lost. Two or three more hours of exposure and he might not have made it."

"T'pol, I'm sorry," said Archer, looking at her in a remorseful way.

"For what?" she replied, unsure why she needed his apology.

"I should have listened to you … sent down probes to gather more data before sending down a landing party …"

"I agree that you should have been more cautious in your approach," interrupted T'Pol, "but I fail to see how you could be in any way responsible for our situation."

"I nearly got you both killed …"

"The insects were responsible for nearly getting us killed," replied T'Pol. "When I first scanned the planet, I detected signs of a diverse ecology. More detailed scans would have divulged the different types of life indicative to this world, but not their nature. While the situation we found ourselves in was unfortunate … it was also, unavoidable…"

Archer nodded. He appreciated what she was trying to do, but looking over at Trip lying there … so still and pale, he still felt a pang of guilt at what they had both just experienced.

"Thanks … for looking after him," said Archer. "I've known Trip for nearly ten years. He's the toughest thing going … but … bugs, he's scared to death of them … I can't image what it must have been like for him …"

"Under the circumstances, Commander Tucker handled himself quite well …"

"Be sure to let him know that," replied Archer.

"I will endeavour to remind him during our next meditation session," replied T'Pol.

"Trip … meditating," laughed Archer. Then as she just looked at him in a way to show that she was serious on the matter, he began to think … "_Just what the hell went on down there between those two."_ "Well they say an experience like that can change people…"

"Indeed, Captain …"

----------------------------

A/N If you would like additional scenes to this story - a continuation of how they both cope afterwards, let me know.


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